Motion to the General Assembly of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) on the indigenous knowledge

Proposed by Panel 96- The Voice of Grassroots in Anthropology: Theorizing from unheard paradigms. Sponsored by the Scientific Commission of Global Feminism and Queer Politics. 

An Indigenous is not a discrete identity, a property to be possessed but an emergent quality acquired from virtual and actual assemblages. It’s ethics concerned with preservation and sustenance. Indigenous knowledge is the consonant knowledge system- observations, oral and written knowledge, innovations, experimentation, practices, and beliefs that promote sustainability and responsible stewardship of the environment, cultural and natural resources through the relationship between humans and their landscapes, and ethical conduct in the human and non-human tradition. It applies to the phenomenon across biological, physical, chemical, social, cultural, and spiritual systems. It’s a knowledge system that’s not anchored to a human identity but a learned behavior. Everyone can be indigenous, but no one IS already indigenous.  It is a knowledge system developed over millennia and continues to do so based on evidence acquired through direct contact with the environment, long-term experiences, extensive observations, lessons, and skills. It often has a close connection with the environment. It is rooted in cultural traditions and practices. 

The role of the researcher in the field is not one of representing but merging with the field to create an ethical machine. A researcher should not impose a non-indigenous way of researching, learning, and living. Researchers must learn from those we study, and understand the often implicit rules and limits of relationships. A truly ethical relationship in research needs to have constant dialogue — a truly collaborative research. The text from the research needs to be approved first by the people with whom one works, to avoid misrepresentations. It is not enough to recognize indigenous knowledge, as it is also necessary to recognize the experts to create a true dialogue between anthropological theory and indigenous knowledge. which has its epistemology, theory, and logic.